The present invention is generally in the area of creating new tissues using polysaccharide hydrogel-cell compositions.
Craniofacial contour deformities, whether traumatic, congenital, or aesthetic, currently require invasive surgical techniques for correction. Furthermore, deformities requiring augmentation often necessitate the use of alloplastic prostheses which suffer from problems of infection and extrusion. A minimally invasive method of delivering additional autogenous cartilage or bone to the craniofacial skeleton would minimize surgical trauma and eliminate the need for alloplastic prostheses. If one could transplant via injection and cause to engraft large numbers of isolated cells, one could augment the craniofacial osteo-cartilaginous skeleton with autogenous tissue, but without extensive surgery.
Unfortunately, attempts to inject dissociated cells subcutaneously or to implant dissociated tissues within areas of the body such as the peritoneum have not been successful. Cells are relatively quickly removed, presumably by phagocytosis and cell death.
Cells can be implanted onto a polymeric matrix and implanted to form a cartilaginous structure, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,138 to Vacanti, et al., but this requires surgical implantation of the matrix and shaping of the matrix prior to implantation to form a desired anatomical structure.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and compositions for injection of cells to form cellular tissues and cartilaginous structures.
It is a further object of the invention to provide compositions to form cellular tissues and cartilaginous structures including non-cellular material which will degrade and be removed to leave tissue or cartilage that is histologically and chemically the same as naturally produced tissue or cartilage.